Automating Interrogative Population of Electronic Forms Using a Real-Time Communication Platform

• US 20100223543A1
• Filed: 03/02/2009
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Marston, Cayce B.
• Granted Patent: US 9,846,690 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/226 Validation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/333 Preprocessing; Feature extraction
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/412 Layout analysis of documents structured with printed lines or input boxes, e.g. business forms or tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]

Abstract

A computer-implemented method of obtaining form data can include selecting a control from within an electronic form, determining a textual representation of the control, and sending the textual representation of the control as part of a message to a client messaging system through a real-time communication system. A response message from the client messaging system can be received through the real-time communication system. Form data specified by the response message can be stored within memory when the form data is valid, as specified according to the electronic form.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of obtaining form data, the method comprising:

selecting a control from within an electronic form;

determining a textual representation of the control;

sending the textual representation of the control as part of a message to a client messaging system through a real-time communication system;

receiving a response message from the client messaging system through the real-time communication system; and

storing form data specified by the response message within memory when the form data is valid, as determined according to the electronic form.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the form data specified by the response message is not valid; and

,

in response, sending a further message to the client messaging system via the real-time communication system specifying that the form data is invalid.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to determining that the form data for the electronic form is complete, outputting the form data according to a selected distribution technique; and

responsive to determining that the form data is not complete, generating a textual representation of a next control of the form and sending the textual representation as part of a further message to the client messaging system via the real-time communication system.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the method further comprising establishing a real-time communication session with the client messaging system through which the message and response message are exchanged.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining a textual representation of the control further comprises:

identifying a constraint of the control specified in a host language that visually renders the control when executed within a browser;

generating a textual representation of the constraint; and

sending the textual representation of the constraint to the client messaging system though the real-time communication system.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating an image of at least a portion of the electronic form; and

sending the image to the client messaging system of the electronic form through the real-time communication system.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

first identifying a host language of the electronic form that visually renders the control; and

selecting a user interface control interpretation module for processing the control from a plurality of user interface control interpretation modules according to the host language of the electronic form.

8. A system for obtaining form data comprising:

a processor executing computer-usable program code, wherein the processor;

selects a control from within an electronic form;

determines a textual representation of the control;

sends the textual representation of the control as part of a message to a client messaging system through a real-time communication system;

receives a response message from the client messaging system through the real-time communication system; and

stores form data specified by the response message within memory when the form data is valid, as determined according to the electronic form.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor:

determines that the form data specified by the response message is not valid; and

in response, sends a further message to the client messaging system via the real-time communication system specifying that the form data is invalid.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor:

responsive to determining that the form data for the electronic form is complete, outputs the form data according to a selected distribution technique; and

responsive to determining that the form data is not complete, generates a textual representation of a next control of the form and sends the textual representation as part of a further message to the client messaging system via the real-time communication system.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor establishes a real-time communication session with the client messaging system through which the message and response message are exchanged.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor determines a textual representation of the control by:

identifying a constraint of the control specified in a host language that visually renders the control when executed within a browser;

generating a textual representation of the constraint; and

sending the textual representation of the constraint to the client messaging system though the real-time communication system.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor sends an image of at least a portion of the electronic form to the client messaging system through the real-time communication system.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor:

first identifies a host language of the electronic form that visually renders the control; and

selects a user interface control interpretation module for processing the control from a plurality of user interface control interpretation modules according to the host language of the electronic form.

15. A computer program product comprising:

a computer-usable medium comprising computer-usable program code that, when executed by a computer, obtains form data, the computer-usable medium comprising;

computer-usable program code that selects a control from within an electronic form;

computer-usable program code that determines a textual representation of the control;

computer-usable program code that sends the textual representation of the control as part of a message to a client messaging system through a real-time communication system;

computer-usable program code that receives a response message from the client messaging system through the real-time communication system; and

computer-usable program code that stores form data specified by the response message within memory when the form data is valid, as specified according to the electronic form.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer-usable medium further comprises:

computer-usable program code that determines that the form data specified by the response message is not valid; and

,

computer-usable program code that, in response, sends a further message to the client messaging system via the real-time communication system specifying that the form data is invalid.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer-usable medium further comprises:

computer-usable program code that, responsive to determining that the form data for the electronic form is complete, outputs the form data according to a selected distribution technique; and

computer-usable program code that, responsive to determining that the form data is not complete, generates a textual representation of a next control of the form and sending the textual representation as part of a further message to the client messaging system via the real-time communication system.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer-usable medium further comprises computer-usable program code that establishes a real-time communication session with the client messaging system through which the message and response message are exchanged.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer-usable program code that determines a textual representation of the control further comprises:

computer-usable program code that identifies a constraint of the control specified in a host language that visually renders the control when executed within a browser;

computer-usable program code that generates a textual representation of the constraint; and

computer-usable program code that sends the textual representation of the constraint to the client messaging system though the real-time communication system.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer-usable medium further comprises:

computer-usable program code that generates an image of at least a portion of the electronic form; and

computer-usable program code that sends the image to the client messaging system of the electronic form through the real-time communication system.